


S'mores and Starlight

by DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: -gasp- omg there was only one tent, Amity and Luz are both Smitten, And there was only one Tent, Camping, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Owl House Secret Santa, Pining, S'mores, Sleepovers, Spooky campfire stories, Stargazing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28267086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon/pseuds/DeeTheTeaDrinkingDragon
Summary: Luz and her friends embark on a camping trip to Lake Lacuna, in the hopes of gathering stock for Eda's potion making. Luz sees an opportunity to help Amity bond within their friend group, and Amity struggles with her fears of a mysterious monster stalking the woods...Featuring art by Mari/CzPeterP!A Secret Santa gift to ParPar on twitter! Happy Holidays, ParPar! :)
Relationships: Amity Blight & Gus Porter, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Luz Noceda & Willow Park, Luz Noceda & Willow Park & Gus Porter
Comments: 41
Kudos: 531





	S'mores and Starlight

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Par (@amity_queen) on twitter. I really hope you enjoy this secret santa gift!   
> A special thank you to my friend Mari, who took the time to create stunning artwork for this gift. Thank you so much Mari! <3

The Boiling Isles was a strange place. Every day brought something new and  unforeseen , but if you had asked Luz what she was expecting out of today, she would have guaranteed you that it wouldn’t have been this. 

Luz loved camping. She had fond memories of her mother taking her to “Pinewood’s Caravan and Camping Grounds”, a quaint, little lakeside campsite every year. She had always been so excited exploring the woodlands as a child; searching for fairies, and dragons, and other mythical creatures, ending each day with a mug of hot cocoa bundled in blankets and watching the stars with Camila. 

So, when Eda suggested they pitch some tents out by Lake Lacuna, Luz was elated. Elated, if not also a little confused. 

“Why are we going up to Lake Lacuna?” 

“Well, with the portal destroyed, I’m having tweak my business model,” Eda skimmed her shelves in the kitchen, fingers curling around a vial of near empty blue liquid. She swirled its contents. “Eventually my human products are going to run out of stock, so I need to make sure I have enough materials to keep my potions business going, and Lake Lacuna has an abundance of rare and useful ingredients. It should keep the snails flowing until we find another portal.” Eda froze in her tracks, her face falling. “Well...  _ if _ we find another portal.” 

“We will,” Luz smiled, though she couldn’t deny the sharp pain inflicted by Eda’s doubt. “But until then... yeah. That makes sense.” 

Where Luz sat on the kitchen table, she let her legs sway, kicking them gently. King sat on her lap; her arms cuddled around him, his own stubby legs kicking too, if not a bit more violently. 

“Ugh, this is going to be so  _ boring _ .” The little demon grumbled. “Picking flowers all day? Hard pass. Can’t you guys practice more with those paper glyphs? I want to watch something explode.”

“There’ll be plenty of time for exploding things later.” Eda yelled back, her head now in a cupboard. “It's not a priority right now if we want money to eat. Hmm, I could do with some more essence of frog...”

“Hey, since it’s a weekend, can Gus, Willow and Amity come?” Luz continued quickly when Eda turned her head and quirked an eyebrow. “They could lend a hand in gathering stuff! And it’ll be fun!” 

“Eh... I suppose... I do have a couple of spare tents...” Eda scratched her chin. Finally, she smiled back at Luz. “Alright, but you  kids better stay out of trouble while we’re there.”

Luz beamed, jumping from the table, and King yelped in alarm at the sudden disturbance. “Oh, thank you, Eda! You won’t regret it!” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Eda’s hand found the top of Luz’s head, ruffling her hair affectionately. “Go get yourself packed up and ready. Hey Lily, are you coming?” 

From the living room, Lillith didn’t look up from the book she was reading. “I would rather not.”

“Hah!” Eda  snort-laughed . “Yeah, I figured as much.” 

***

It probably would have been a short ride to Lake Lacuna on Owlbert, Luz mused. However, with the six of them, the would-be campers required other means of transportation. So, today would be the first time Luz used a Boiling Isles bus. 

Eda stood protectively over her little brood of  witchlings , hiding her face anxiously under her cowl. Luz couldn’t blame Eda for being so twitchy. It was her first time out in public since her near petrification, and as far as  Bonesborough was concerned, she was now forever cursed in her owl-like state. If anyone caught wind of the truth... well, it could be dangerous for them all, especially in Eda’s weakened state. 

It was a strange creature that rolled up to collect them, a giant red grub with translucent, yellow side spots and nubby little legs. Luz could only guess that its giant eyes doubled as headlights in the dark, but they were unnecessary on a bright, clear, sunny day like this. 

As it pulled up, a door on its side hissed and opened, letting off a small queue of passengers. Eda led the way onboard, quickly paying the driver, before making her way to the very back of the bus, King scampering at her heels. 

Willow and Gus followed contently, but as Luz took a step up and into the beast, she turned and noticed Amity still stood on the path, her nose was wrinkled at the sight. She didn’t seem too keen to hop aboard. Perhaps she was anxious, Luz pondered. Perhaps it was her first time using a bus too.

“Hey Amity, do you want to sit next to each other?” 

Amity’s eyes widened as they snapped to the human, and a dash of red coloured her cheeks. “Huh? Oh, uh, yeah! Sure, if you’re sure-” 

Luz hopped back down to take Amity’s hand and tugged her along onto the bus, and the door closed behind them. 

It was about what Luz expected from the insides of a monster-creature-bus. Squishy. Though it vaguely resembled what Luz was used to on Earth, the seats of the vehicle were pink and fleshy, and poles of bone lined the thin aisle leading down its length. 

Once, Luz would have found this horrifically unsettling. Now, it was rather par for the course for this strange world. 

Willow and Gus both waved cheerfully as Luz and Amity approached, sitting in the seats beside them. Amity took the window seat, sitting rather stiffly, gazing out at the world as it went by, while Luz sat sideways to chat to her friends excitedly about all the things they could do together on the trip. 

The first few minutes passed quickly, but as the conversation lulled, Luz turned back to Amity, still sat with her elbow on the windowsill, her chin resting on her knuckles. She seemed deep in thought. 

“You okay?” She asked gently. 

Amity’s ear twitched at Luz’s voice. “Yeah.” She offered Luz a  half-hearted smile. 

A few seconds of awkward silence passed. “You know... it smells about as bad as my old human school bus in here.” 

Amity chuckled lightly at that. “Yeah, it doesn’t smell great, does it? Though it’s bearable compared to the sock prank Edric pulled last  month. ” 

“Oh?” 

Luz could see Amity’s walls crumble as her eyes lit up. “Yeah. Last month, Edric thought it’d be great fun to stuff a bunch of his old gym socks with spider-cheese and hide them under one of the loose floorboards in the hall...” 

The bus rolled out of town at a rather slow pace. According to Willow, Lake Lacuna was out near the middle of the island, and by bus it would take a good three hours at least, depending on traffic and if there were any ravenous, giant birds around. 

Luz decided that she didn’t want to think about the possibility of their bus being swept up and eaten by some beast with them all still inside. 

At one point, when Luz thought she saw a gryphon, she leaned over to press her face against the window, keeping her eyes on the sky, squishing Amity in the process. What she neglected to see in that moment was the little teasing grin Willow gave the flustered Amity long after Luz returned to her seat. 

At the two-hour mark, Amity seemed to decide to settle for a nap to pass the rest of the time, while Luz grew agitated and restless. She needed to get up and move about; sitting so still for so long was growing bothersome. She fidgeted with the drawstrings of her hoodie, stretched and bounced her legs, anything to shake off the growing discomfort. 

“You okay Luz?” Gus called over softly from his seat. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, I just...” Luz tried for a  grin, but it came out as more of a grimace. “I can’t wait to stretch my legs.” 

Willow and Gus shared a look of concern before Willow smiled sympathetically back at the human. 

“Do you want to play a game to take your mind of it?” 

“ _ Please. _ ” 

Admittedly, teaching Willow and Gus to play  _ ‘I Spy’ _ helped, though they were very limited in what they could see inside the bus. Chairs, walls, Gus, windows, the floor, Gus again, trees outside, the road-

Luz felt a sudden weight slump against her shoulder, taking her by surprise. Amity had fallen towards her, head now resting snuggly on her shoulder. She didn’t seem to have noticed, still fast asleep. 

“Aww,” Willow cooed. “You two kinda look like a couple.”

“Shut up.” Luz laughed with a wave of a hand, though she felt her cheeks prickle with warmth. Amity didn’t stir, quite comfortable in her new position. Perhaps she had the right idea taking a nap, Luz thought. 

The remaining hour passed with Luz’s head resting against Amity’s own, in a fleeting  _ almost _ sleep but not quite. She barely registered the bus coming to a stop and the gentle nudges from Willow.

“Luz...”

“Grghgh...?” 

“Luz, this is our stop.” She whispered gently.

Luz sat upright and rubbed her aching neck with a groan, and at the movement, Amity stirred too. She could hear Eda, now at the front of the bus, in some sort of argument with the driver. It would probably be wise to leave quickly while they still could. 

Amity was still half asleep as Luz tugged her by the hand off the bus, briskly followed by Gus and Willow. Oh, sweet fresh air! Sweet...  _ almost  _ fresh air! It was about as fresh as you could get on the isles at least. It was so nice to be able to stretch and move around properly. 

“Alright,” Eda sauntered off the bus, the door closing immediately behind her. The grub creature wasted no time in waddling as fast as it could down the road. “C’mon, it’s only a short walk from here to our campsite.” 

It was a well secluded site amidst the forest on the west side of the lake, and although it looked like it had been used before, it seemed as though it had been abandoned for some few years. It was so far off any path too that it was unlikely that many people, if anyone besides Eda, even knew about it. 

“Yeesh, looks like a storm hit this place.” Eda whacked through the foliage as though  Owlbert’s staff was a machete. “We should try and clear some room to pitch up and make a fire for tonight.” 

“You know there are lodges not far from here.” Amity pointed out. “They’re warm, with a nice view of the lake, and have actual...  _ roofs _ .”

“Why pay to stay in some boring lodge, when we can connect with nature? It’s  _ beautiful _ out here!” 

As if the very universe itself wanted to prove Eda wrong in that moment, a giant gruesome looking bird fluttered down on a branch behind her with a grumpy squawk. The branch snapped under its weight, and it plummeted straight into the waiting jaws of a snake. 

Gus jumped back in alarm as it slithered past, grabbing Willow’s arm. “Uh, can we at least camp somewhere where we’re less likely to get  _ eaten? _ ” 

“Oh relax, you big babies. I’ve been camping at this spot for years and I’ve never had any trouble with the wildlife! Huh, except that time with the uh, the giant mosquitos. And that other year the vampire bats.” Eda shuddered at the memory. 

Luz, Willow, Gus and Amity all exchanged nervous looks. 

“Oh relax, I won’t let anything get you. Now come help me clear this place up. It’s going to be a lot harder going without my magic.” 

***

Setting up camp took way longer than any of them first expected. Mainly it was a challenge of finding room to pitch three tents amongst the brush even after they cleared away the debris. But it was starting to look cosy now, with logs for seats, and a cooking pit hung over a small firepit. 

“Alright everyone, choose a tent and dump your gear,” Eda called out, haphazardly tossing her sleeping bag into the biggest tent. A little  _ ‘Weh!’  _ cried out from inside. “We only have today to get as many supplies as possible, so we need to get moving.”

“But Eda, there’s only three tents.” Willow pointed out. 

“Then choose a tent-mate too. Even if we had more tents, I don’t think there’s enough space, we’re crammed in as it is.” 

It was no secret that although Willow and Amity were on friendlier terms now, the pair still weren’t entirely comfortable around each other. At least not yet. And Amity barely knew Gus; they had only recently started interacting. Luz would have happily shared a tent with any of her friends, but in her mind, she could only imagine Amity feeling comfortable around one person here. 

“Amity, are you okay sharing a tent with me?” 

Amity snapped around at Luz in surprise, her cheeks going pink. “M-Me?” 

“Yeah! I mean, as long as you’re okay with it.” 

Amity seemed rather startled by the offer for reasons Luz couldn’t discern. “I- yeah! Yes, sure, I would love to! I mean I would like that a normal amount, to share a tent, with someone who is  my friend.”

So, with tents sorted, the group set out down the hill into the wetlands surrounding the lake. Eda had scrawled out a list, and the group divided in search of the raw ingredients she needed. 

“Don’t stray too far. I don’t want to be the one to tell any of your parents that you sunk in quicksand or got eaten by giant leeches.” Eda hopped side-saddle onto  Owlbert . “If you need me, just yell really loudly. Or come find me, I guess. I’ll be in the meadow just south of here with King.” 

Amity and Gus set off to the north, while Willow and Luz began their own search amongst the trees growing by the lakeside. 

“You know, it’s almost like a treasure hunt!” Luz smiled as she turned over rocks in search of the luminescent moss Eda needed. 

“Well, I was thinking it’s more like chores, but that’s a more fun way of looking at it.” Willow giggled, plucking haggleberries from a nearby bush. “I’m glad you invited us, Luz. I haven’t been camping in a long time. There’s something just so refreshing about being out in nature. Oh, Luz! Careful that’s not a-!”

What Luz thought was a rock snapped at her finger and she squeaked in panic as she jerked it away. The strange little rock bug appeared to curl and shake a fist at her before scuttling away. 

“Huh. Anyway, thanks for your help. With your plant magic we should be done here in no time!” 

The pair laughed and chatted away as they worked, but Luz’s thoughts turned to Amity and Gus. A nagging protective instinct bubbled away in her; she knew they could take care of themselves if danger were to arise, they were some of the most powerful  witchlings she knew, and yet...

“Luz are you okay? You seem a little distracted.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Sorry.” 

Willow’s gaze softened. Sometimes Luz got the feeling Willow could read her mind. Or perhaps she was just an open book that Willow could read by her expressions. “They’ll be fine, you know.” 

“You think...? I know... I’m sure they’re ‘ _ okay’ _ okay, but do you think they’re like... okay?” At Willow’s puzzled expression, Luz sighed. “I mean, do you think they’re getting along alright?” 

Willow chuckled gently. “Oh Luz, you’re such a mother hen sometimes, do you know that?” 

Luz pouted playfully and Willow gently poked Luz’s nose, sending the pair both into fitful giggles. Luz then watched her friend take careful samples of bark from the trunk of an old, gnarled tree. She looked rather pensive now. 

“This is the first time in a long time I’ve seen Amity so genuinely happy. It’s also the first time in years that she’s had true friends,” She turned back to face Luz. “So maybe it might be a bit... awkward for her at first. But she’ll figure it out. Besides, Gus is pretty good at carrying a conversation.” 

It wasn’t long before they could hear Amity and Gus’s laughter carrying across the marsh, and the weight on Luz’s heart immediately lifted. 

“See? Nothing to worry about. Sounds like they’re having fun.” Willow smiled. 

Luz’s heart warmed. “Yeah... it does.” 

***

As the evening rolled around, the sun painted the sky in hues of reds and oranges as it hung lazily on the horizon. Eda ushered Luz and Willow along with a grumbly little King of Demons (wearing a flower crown, Luz noted) back to camp, where Gus and Amity were already waiting, the pair sat on a log covered in mud and... Luz squinted through the dimming light. Was that abomination goo...?

They appeared to be in conversation, smiling and jesting, and as they noticed the group approach, both their faces lit up, Gus standing to wave them over. 

“What happened to you two?” Luz heard Willow ask as she set down her bag by one of the log benches. Amity and Gus shared a nervous smile. 

“Well, as it turns out, catching seven-footed frogs is harder than it sounds. Which is already pretty hard.” Amity replied, rubbing at her cheek. It only served to  smear more mud across her face. 

“ So, we decided to make a game out of it! And I won!” Gus beamed proudly.

“Only because you cheated!” Amity laughed, giving him a light-hearted shove. The boy giggled in turn. 

“You never said using illusions counted as cheating! And besides, you created abominations to help you!”

Luz’s face almost hurt from how much she was smiling. There was such a cheerful mood surrounding the camp now, she could almost ignore the creepy sounds of the nocturnal woodland fauna as they slowly awoke.

“Alright kids,” Eda approached with the rustle of a burlap sack. She dropped it at their feet, and the rope around it loosened enough for Luz to peek inside. She could just make out dozens upon dozens of small, cylindrical, white blobs. “Marshmallows, fresh from the marsh! I picked them myself! Don’t ask what I had to do to get them.” 

Marshmallows? Luz’s heart fluttered warmly. She had no idea marshmallows existed on the Isles. The mere mention of them took her back to those sleepy nights camping with her mother, roasting the treats to perfection over flickering flames. 

The warmth and light of the fire was soothing once the last embers of sunlight had simmered into the dark of night. It was quieter and subdued, the group still letting Eda’s stew warm them long after they had eaten it. Now, sticks hovered over the fire, marshmallows crisping and browning as they turned. Lethargy hung in the air for a moment, until the peace was disturbed by King’s obnoxiously loud yawn. 

“Careful, King,” Luz smiled. “If you fall asleep your mallows will burn!” 

“Weh?” The demon’s eyes widened, and he jerked his stick away from the fire. One of the several marshmallows he had skewered had set alight, and he blew it out hastily before scoffing the whole lot down hungrily. 

“Hey, do you guys have  s’mores on the isles?” Luz asked through a mouthful of her own marshmallow. 

“ S’mores ?” Willow asked curiously. 

“Yeah, they’re like, marshmallows sandwiched between two- hold on-” Luz scrambled for her bag, pulling out a pack of cookies and a bar of chocolate. With the remaining marshmallow on her skewer, she assembled it, as she had done on many camping trips gone by. 

“And so, by the combined forces of cookies, chocolate, and marshmallows, I present to you all, the  s’more !” 

Her friends all stared back at her with a mix of awe and confusion. 

“Human snacks...?” Gus perked up, his eyes twinkling. 

“Human snacks.” Luz repeated back with a sagely nod. She could hear Gus squeak with delight. “Here Gus, why don’t you try the first one?”

Gus stared at the creation in awe. “Human ingenuity... fascinating...” When he took his first bite, Luz watched his eyes light up joyously, and for a moment, she thought he was about to cry. “This is the greatest thing I have ever tasted...!”

The  s’mores were a total crowd-pleaser. Even Eda looked impressed, though she seemed to opt for nearly charcoaled marshmallows in her  own. Hey, to each their own, Luz supposed. 

The warm, sweet snacks  were a great comfort as a cool chill blew up towards their camp off the lake. It would probably be time to turn into their tents soon. 

And then, breaking the peace, a loud noise echoed from the north of the lake. 

It sounded like a baby’s cry, but gargled, as though from underwater somehow, ending in a piercing shrill noise like nails on a chalkboard, sending the hair prickling on the back of Luz’s neck. Everyone jumped from their sleepy state, Luz in a panic finding her feet as she whirled around searching for the source of the sound. Almost instantly, Amity grabbed Luz’s wrist, as though to stop her from running off. Her hand didn’t let go until Luz had sunk back into her seat. 

“W-What... what was that?” Luz asked, voice shaking.

She was met by an uncomfortable silence; only Eda seemed to have relaxed and returned to stoking the fire, King’s claws curled tight around the fabric of her dress. Willow and Amity exchanged a knowing glance, but it took a moment before Willow broke the silence. 

“Back when me and Amity took swimming lessons here, some of the older kids used to talk about this freaky monster that lived around the lake.” 

Although Amity scoffed, Luz could detect a nervous wobble to her tone. “I told you then, and I’ll tell you again, Willow. The  Marrowsnapper isn’t real. It was probably just... just a bird.” 

“Oh, it’s real.” Eda piped up finally. In an instant everyone was hanging off Eda’s words . She smirked. “ _ Very _ real.” 

Amity rolled her eyes and attempted to seem uninterested, busying herself instead by twirling another marshmallow over the fire, but Luz could see her glancing at Eda out of the corner of her eye. 

“The  Marrowsnapper is a demon that stands ten foot tall, with long bony fingers and a mouth like a magma  shark’s .” Eda continued, creeping closer, her lips curled into a menacing smile. The fire half illuminated her face dramatically. “It preys on those who get lost in the woods, stalking from the shadows... ready to strike at any moment. And I’ve  _ seen _ it with my own eyes.” 

Amity had abandoned her marshmallow now. Luz could feel her hands slink around Luz’s arm as she scooted closer, her eyes on Eda, a look of apprehension painted across her face.

“One year, Lily and I were out here camping. Lily was a girl scout  y’see , and sometimes I got dragged along on her little dorky outings. Guess my parents thought it would be  _ ‘character building’ _ or something. Then, one night, I snuck out with a couple of the other scouts; these two kids, Billy and  Snargle . We figured we’d go skim some stones on the lake, maybe binge eat some snacks,  y’know . The usual. 

Then we ran out of chocolate rats, so I offered to go back to camp and grab some more. But when I got back to the lake, they were both gone.” 

“Did the monster get them?” Gus asked, his face half hidden behind Willow’s arm. He appeared to be clinging to her even tighter than Amity was clinging to Luz. Eda snorted. 

“Heh, nah, but we’ll get to that. So, there I was, alone by the lakeside, and I think to myself, ‘ _ Ugh, those jerks are playing a prank on me. They’re  _ _ gonna _ _ jump out and try to scare me any second now. _ ’ So, I stood on guard, ready to cast a spell to get them back. Except they didn’t jump out. And then I felt it. A cold dread trickling down my spine. Something unnatural was watching me.” 

Luz could feel Amity’s pressed to her side now, arms wrapped tight around her own. Luz timidly placed a hand over one of Amity’s in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture, trying to mentally blame the prickling heat of her cheeks on the fire. Eda continued.

“When I turned, I spotted something in the shadows of the trees, moving slowly, ever closer. Then it stepped out into the moonlight, drool dripping from its fangs, its body rasping and wheezing as though  its very bones were rattling.

Then it dived forward, and I barely made it out of the way. I tell you, I booked it faster than I’ve ever ran before back to the campsite. But when I got there, I turned to look over my shoulder, to see if it was still chasing me and it was gone. I never figured out why it stopped, whether it was the lights of the camp, or maybe because I was no longer alone...

Turns out Billy and  Snargle were already there, both trembling wrecks. They’d seen it too; said it rose out of the lake and grabbed  Snargle by the ankle. They only got away because  ol ’  Snarg kicked it in the head in panic. I still see him around the market sometimes. He has this big scar on his leg from it.” Eda paused, contemplatively. “Lily never believed me. But I know what we saw that day.” 

Everyone was stunned silent. Only the crackle of their fire and the chirps of crickets broke the eerie quiet of the night now.

“Anyway!” Eda clapped her hands together and stood suddenly. King, who had fallen fast asleep on her lap fell to the floor with a grumpy little cry. She scooped him up effortlessly, carrying him under her arm as though he was some sort of luggage. “I’m  gonna go get some shuteye. You kids enjoy your nightmares! Bye!” And with what Luz could only describe as a cheerful swagger, Eda marched to her tent and zipped it back up behind her, leaving the four of them alone.

“Well,” Willow was the one to break the nervous silence. “That was certainly... something.” 

“Yeah,” Luz laughed nervously. “That was one of the top five scariest campfire stories I’ve ever heard. What about you Amity? Are you okay?”

It took Amity a moment to respond, her eyes boring into the fire. “H-Huh? Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be okay?” 

Willow and Luz shared a look between them.

“Are you...  _ scared, _ Amity?” Luz asked slowly.

“N-No,” Amity scoffed. “Of course, not. I was just holding onto you to make sure  _ you _ weren’t scared. To uh... let you know I was here.” She uncurled her arms slowly from around Luz’s own and patted her awkwardly on the back. “See, nothing to fear, Luz. I’ll um, protect you.” 

No one was convinced. But Luz was too occupied trying to put Amity at ease with a smile to notice the side glance and mischievous grin shared between Willow and Gus in that moment. 

There was a shuffle behind them, and Luz felt Amity bristle uncomfortably, whipping her head around. But there was nothing there. 

“P-Probably just another bird.” Luz laughed, though her voice felt strained in her throat. But as she turned back to look at Amity for reassurance, she found none. Amity had paled, her ears pinned back, her eyes wide, staring up at something over Luz’s shoulder.

Luz didn’t want to turn around, but she did anyway. Standing there was the monster from Eda’s story, towering over the pair, hunched, its spine jutting out under a sickly white skin. It was snarling, its head twitching unnaturally eyes dancing red with the reflection of the fire.  Its long fingers curled and uncurled in anticipation.

“U-Uh,” Luz grinned sheepishly. “Can I interest you in a s’more?”

_ “RARRRARRGH!!!”  _ The  Marrowsnapper’s jaw unhinged, letting out a piercing bellow and Amity screamed, jumping into Luz’s lap, her arms wrapping tightly around the girl. Luz’s hand instinctively snapped to her pocket, ready to tear free a glyph, any glyph in the hopes of saving them, but there was no need. 

Willow and Gus burst into laughter as the  Marrowsnapper puffed into thin air in an instant, and Luz immediately clocked onto their game; the monster had been nothing more than one of Gus’s illusions. Amity, however, took seconds longer to recover, fingers dug deep into the fabric of Luz’s shirt. Luz relaxed into an embarrassed laugh. 

Amity was far less good humoured about the joke, a scowl finding her face. Luz let her laugh turn into a little awkward cough and she tried to let the smile melt from her face. It only half worked.

“Gus, that was mean. You frightened Amity!”

“I’m not frightened, I was just... startled! There’s a difference!” Amity huffed, finding her feet as she brushed herself off. A blush dusted her cheeks. 

“Are you sure, Amity? Because you looked  pretty scared from over here.” Willow giggled. 

“I’m not afraid,” Amity reasserted. “ _ Especially _ not of made-up swamp monsters!” 

Willow shrugged and they left it at that. It would be time for bed soon anyway; perhaps it was best to leave the light-hearted teasing alone for one night.

***

The tent offered a respite from the chilly wind that had picked up, though perhaps most of the warmth inside was the result of Luz having bundled up their shared blankets, duvets and pillows all around them. The atmosphere was warmed by the gentle light spells she had cast, illuminating their surroundings in a soft golden glow. 

It was a comfort, Amity found. She could almost forget all about the Marrowsnapper supposedly wandering the woods. In fact, it was a little hard to concentrate on anything  _ but _ the human girl in front of her. 

“-And as Hecate rose her staff to strike down their mighty foe, the thundery clouds parted, sunrays beaming down as though the very heavens themselves were thankful.” 

Amity chuckled. “Luz you’re going to wake everyone up.” She whispered from where she lay, watching the girls excited hand motions as she read from the book in her hand. She had been at it for a while now, long after Amity had nestled down to rest. It was cosy under all the blankets, and perhaps cosier still, Amity felt, being so close to Luz. 

“Ah, sorry,” Luz grinned sheepishly, closing the book and setting it aside. “I just get super excited; it’s not often I get to read Azura to someone else.” 

“I like listening to you read,” Amity admitted softly through a yawn. “I’d listen to you read all night if I could.” 

“Would you?” Luz’s eyes found Amity’s, so warm and pretty in the light, and Amity stiffened in embarrassment.  Who ever allowed Luz to have such beautiful eyes? 

“I-I mean, yeah, because I love Azura!” With a short, laughy breath, Amity glanced away, looking anywhere but Luz’s face. Luz was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. 

“That means a lot to me.” 

“...It does?” 

“Yeah,” Amity dared herself to catch Luz’s eye again. This time, to her surprise, it was Luz who broke eye contact. “Back home, apart from my mom, I can’t really think of anyone who would ever want to listen to me talk about Azura. And even then, I think my mom only listens because she  kinda feels like she has to, y’know? I think that’s why I was so excited when I found out you liked Azura too. It’s... nice having someone to share it with.”

Amity couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to devote time listening to Luz talk; listening to every single word Luz said brought so much light and joy into Amity’s life. The humans back in her world clearly had no taste. “... Me too. A-About you.” She whispered. 

Luz’s eyes glistened, her expression softening as she sat resting her weight on one arm. Amity didn’t want to stare but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to take in every detail of Luz’s kind face. She wanted to savour the tenderness. She wondered if it was her imagination when Luz blushed and diverted her gaze, perhaps realising herself that she too was lost in the moment.

“Oh hey, Amity, what’s that in your bag?” Luz pointed out, rubbing at her cheek as though it might hide their glow.

“Huh?” Amity turned, and low and behold, in the corner of the tent her backpack had toppled over, and a long, pink, plush ear now lay across the ground. She winced. “Oh no.”

“Oh no?” 

Amity could feel her ears burning. She knew exactly what Luz had spied and now there was no way out of the inevitable embarrassment. 

“Promise you won’t laugh?” 

“Hand on heart. I promise.” 

Amity pursed her lips, feeling the heat creep up her neck. She sat back up, slipped her hands slowly into her bag, and pulled out her plush companion. It was a patchwork patterned bunny with little grey horns and bright shiny black button eyes. It was scuffed slightly from age, but the craftsmanship was exquisite, stitched with the utmost care. Of course, it had to be of the highest quality, to be a gift to the Blight family.

She’d almost forgot she had brought it, quite honestly, distracted by sharing the tent with Luz. But now that she thought about it, her arms had felt unusually empty that night. 

“Awww, Amity-!” 

“Shh!” 

Luz lowered her tone, but not her excitement. “He’s so cute! Does he have a name?” 

“U-Uh,” For a moment, Amity forgot. Luz had shuffled so much closer now, that it was hard for her to breathe, let alone search her memory, her brain feeling like mush. “Jasper.” 

“Well, Jasper,” Luz did a little bow, and took the bunny’s tiny paw between her finger and thumb. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Luz c’mon...”

“What?”

“It’s embarrassing... aren’t you going to make fun of me?” 

“It’s not embarrassing, Amity. Back home I have a little cuddly dog, his names uh, well, Guau Guau, which I guess isn’t very imaginative, but I was only four when I got him, so. Anyway, the point is I would never make fun of you.” 

Slowly, Amity felt her arms curl around Jasper, hugging him gently to her chest. “You don’t think it’s weird that I still sleep with a stuffed animal?” 

“Amity, I’m from another dimension. And even there, I’m considered a bit on the weird side myself. I don’t think you need to worry.” 

Amity’s shoulders relaxed and she smiled as she lay back down, Jasper’s head nestled under her chin, just as he had always done since she was little. It was quiet for a moment before Luz spoke again.

“Hey Amity, can I um... can I leave the lights on?” 

Amity shuffled to look over her shoulder at Luz. There was a nervousness to the girl’s eyes though she tried to smile. 

“If you want to.”

“Hey... did you mean what you said?”

“Huh?”

“About not being scared. About the monster from Eda’s story.” 

The hair on the back of Amity’s neck stood on end, and her insides squirmed uncomfortably as she turned again, her back to the human. “Yes,” she lied. “I’m not afraid.” 

She couldn’t tell if Luz believed her or not, but regardless, she felt Luz settle, laying down beside her, dimming their lights to a  humbler glow. 

The silence between them now felt unbearable.

Amity lay perfectly still, trying not to think about how close Luz was at that moment, instead glaring at the fluttering fabric of the side of the tent. The wind whistled and howled around them, loud and harsh, and as much as she couldn’t admit it out loud, an uncomfortable feeling stirred in her gut, her hands balling into fists and her shoulders tensing. 

She  _ was _ afraid. 

Amity tugged the edge of her duvet up over her ears and buried her nose into her pillow, squeezing Jasper tight, trying as hard as she could to block out the world, but her ears prickled at every tiny sound, her body shifting into fight or flight. Her eyes snapped to the slightest hint of a shadow outside, and thoughts of the Marrowsnapper haunted her even as she squeezed her eyes shut. There was no way she would be able to sleep like this. 

Luz rolled over behind her, causing Amity to twitch involuntarily out of alarm. She could now feel the girl’s eyes staring at her back, and she bristled nervously. Luz shifted again, pulling herself closer until Amity felt Luz’s arm drape lazily over her. She curled herself around Amity almost protectively, arm closing around her, her hand resting just over Amity’s heart. Luz pressed her forehead gently between Amity’s shoulders and let out a small sigh, warming Amity’s back with her breath. 

Amity couldn’t believe what was happening. She felt her whole face go warm. Her ears prickled with so much heat she felt they’d soon burn a hole into her pillow. 

“L-Luz?”

Luz’s tone was laced with sleep. She sounded only barely awake. “Hmm...?” 

“You... you um...” 

Luz turned her head slightly. “...You seemed upset.” Her voice was gentle, rumbling through Amity’s ribs where Luz’s cheek was squished into her back. “I wanted to make sure you knew...”

“I knew...?”

“That we’re okay.” 

Amity wriggled a little, trying to spy the human over her shoulder, but Luz’s face was hidden from view. She pursed her lips and turned again carefully, and as she did, Luz squirmed too, even closer, her arm wrapping a little more snuggly around Amity and her legs tangling with the  witchling’s own. Amity’s hand rested timidly over Luz’s own, thumb brushing gently over the back of hers. Luz’s skin was rough, worn with the work she did around the Owl House for Eda, but it was so comforting somehow. So warm. Her hands were so gentle. 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re warm...” Amity could hear the sleepy grin in Luz’s voice. 

“So are you.” Amity whispered back with a shy smile of her own. She felt Luz bury her face into her back again with a little giggle and a reassuring squeeze. 

“ Y’know , I’ll protect you from the  Barrowwhacker ...” She mumbled sleepily. “Marrow... Back... packer... hmph...” 

Amity let her thumb duck under Luz’s, smoothing over her palm. Her fingers filled the gaps between Luz’s own, and Luz reciprocated by lifting and curling her fingers over the top of Amity’s ever so slightly. The ends of their intwined digits now tangled into the fabric of Amity’s shirt. “Good night, Luz.” 

“Duerme bien, Ami.” 

***

Amity couldn’t recall how she got here, in the middle of the night, in the darkest, densest part of the forest. She didn’t know where she was going. But she knew something was wrong. Something was terribly, horribly wrong. 

“Luz?” She called out, and her voice echoed back and around her. Amity’s heart trembled and she felt a cold sweat trickle down the back of her neck. That was it, that was why she was out here; Luz, she was gone, and she needed to find her. “Luz,  where are you?” 

A cold wind blew, rustling the leaves above her. She couldn’t see any stars, in fact, she couldn’t see much of anything. How far from camp had she followed Luz into this unknown? That was when a horrible realisation hit her.

Luz wasn’t the one lost.  _ She _ was. 

“Willow? Gus? Eda? Anyone?” 

Panic set in. She could feel a cold gaze on her back but as she whirled around, no one was there. She wasn’t alone out here. Something was stalking her. Amity raised a trembling finger to draw a spell, but no circle appeared. She tried again, to no avail. What was happening? 

A low growl emitted from the bushes to her left, a hunched, pale form uncurling as it stepped forward and into the moonlight. The creature towered over her, bony and gangly, grey skin so taught it was almost skeletal in form. Its face was something between humanoid and animalistic, with giant, unnerving bright red eyes and a jaw that seemed stretched out, crammed with far too many sharp dagger-like teeth. Something jutted out from between those fangs, but in the dark it was too hard to make out. 

Nonetheless, Amity took a terrified step backwards.  _ ‘Anyone’  _ had found her. And that  _ ‘Anyone’  _ looked hungry. 

It skulked forwards on twisted spindly limbs and extremities that seemed too big for its body, head twisting like an owl’s, sizing her up. Amity couldn’t move, frozen to the spot, and only now, as it halted in the clearing in front of her, could she see what the creature held in its mouth. It snapped it with ease like a twig, and with a dull hollow clink, the split bone hit the dirt.

The Marrowsnapper. 

Amity turned and ran, and the creature let out a strange harrowing cry behind her. The hunt was on. But to Amity, the trees all looked the same. She couldn’t tell where she was. Surely the lake was supposed to be around here, or the dunes; if she could get to the lodges, perhaps she could find help, but nothing looked remotely familiar to her. 

The next thing Amity knew the floor beneath her feet was gone and she was falling. Not down a hill, like one might expect, just... falling, in inky blackness. 

She wasn’t sure how long she was tumbling through space for, before there was a splash and she felt herself sinking through freezing water. The lake? Amity pulled herself with great difficulty to its surface, searching for the nearest shore. 

It felt like an age of treading through sludge before her fingers found sand. Exhausted she crawled onto the bank, head hung low, a groan escaping her.  _ Now, _ __ where was she? 

Amity lifted her head sluggishly and to her delight, found herself staring at a familiar row of lodges lined up on the grass hill. Yes! If she could just get to them, surely, she could find help... But as Amity found her feet and began to walk, a realisation occurred to her. The lodges weren’t getting closer. 

Odd. 

She looked down. Her feet were definitely moving. She looked behind her. The lake was further away. She looked back ahead and wished she hadn’t. The Marrowsnapper stared back at her from where it perched atop the roof of one of the lodges. Slowly it stepped down, eyes never leaving Amity’s. This time when she turned to escape, her limbs failed her. 

Everything felt like lead. No matter how much she forced her legs to move, it was like she was running through tar. She was moving in slow motion. Tears prickled at her eyes. The beast’s breath was hot on her neck now. 

“No! No! Get away from me!” She started clawing desperately out in front of her. She had to get away! She couldn’t die here, she had to-!

Amity jolted from the dream with a start, breathless, her heart pounding in her chest. 

Her side of the tent was a mess and tangle of blankets, her pillows thrown about. She must have been thrashing in her sleep; it was no wonder given the violent nature of her nightmare. It was a wonder she hadn’t woken-

Amity whirled around, a protective instinct that had formed and strengthened in the weeks she had known Luz for kicking into effect. Surely seeing the human, safe and sound beside her would put her at ease. It always did.

But instead, her heart lurched. Luz was nowhere to be seen. 

“Luz?” She whispered, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. Amity stumbled to pull herself up, tangled in her duvet. Her hands grasped about, desperate to find the girl. But Luz’s side of the tent was empty, and cold. She was gone and had been for a while. Amity’s heart hammered hard in her chest. Her breath hitched. “Luz!?” She cried out a little more desperately. 

Oh Titan, the  Marrowsnapper had gotten her, hadn’t it? 

Amity staggered to her feet, crouched over as her head hit the roof of the tent. She fumbled with the zip, ripping it open as fast as she could, and tripped slightly over the blankets wrapped around her feet, dragging half her bedding out with her. 

The chill night air bit at her skin, the grass beneath her feet cold and damp as she stood, head whipping around, trying to find any trace of girl or beast. But, to her overwhelming relief, she didn’t have to look far. 

The fire was crackling with a new life, restocked with new planks and logs. Steam rose from the cooking pot and there close by, warming her hands, sat Luz, quite content and very much  _ not _ in the belly of a  Marrowsnapper . 

A blanket was wrapped tightly around her, protecting her from the bitter sting of the night, and she looked up when she caught Amity staring at her, a smile painted across her face. She waved silently. 

Timidly, Amity waved back. This wasn’t a trick was it? Even as Luz sat there, the fear didn’t entirely die down in Amity’s heart, her brain a swirling storm of horrible thoughts. She didn’t realise her feet had carried her so briskly to Luz until she was kneeling in front of her.

“Luz...” Amity’s hands cupped around Luz’s cold cheeks, scanning her eyes, and Luz’s breath mingled with her own, warm and sweet in the night air. She felt too real to be an illusion. “You’re really here...?”

“Uh, y-yeah, yes, I am.” Luz’s hands came up to hold Amity’s hands over her cheeks. Her eyes softened. “Amity, are you okay?” 

It took Amity a few seconds to speak, too busy gazing into Luz’s eyes for support. “I-I... you disappeared... I thought...” She felt her cheeks prickle when she realised how prolonged their eye contact had become, and she stared instead down at the grass. Her voice felt small. “I  _ was _ scared.” She finally admitted. “I thought the  Marrowsnapper got you.” 

Luz stared back at her, wide eyed and blinked. “So, you rushed out, barefoot, ready to chase down a giant, bone eating monster? For me?” Luz’s tone grew teasing, but there was clearly a hint of admiration in her voice. “Are you sure you aren’t going soft, Amity?” 

“Maybe just a little,” Amity smiled.  _ ‘Maybe just for you.’  _ She added in her mind.

Luz softened, her eyes twinkling in the light of the fire. Then her face dropped. “Oh, the cocoa!” Amity staggered aside as Luz dove for the cooking pot, stirring it frantically. She took it off the heat and smiled back at Amity bashfully. “S-Sorry, haha! I almost forgot it was... um... do you want some?” 

Amity gratefully accepted, and Luz poured them each a modest amount into a pair of waiting mugs before they sat back on the log together. 

“You know uh, it’s pretty cold out,” Luz started slowly. It was an understatement. Amity’s feet were so numb now she could barely wriggle her toes. But it was a surprise to her when Luz timidly  opened up her blanket to Amity, inviting her inside. 

Amity could hardly decline. She shuffled shyly closer until Luz enveloped her in its warmth, tucking its edge around her shoulders, and closing it around them like the wings of a bird. They were quiet for a moment as Amity dared herself to rest her head against Luz’s shoulder. She smelled of pine and smoke from the fire. 

“I’m really glad you’re okay Luz,” Amity whispered softly, breaking the silence. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything bad ever happened to you.” 

She didn’t need to see Luz’s face to know she was smiling. Luz carefully placed her mug on the ground, before she wrapped her arms securely around Amity, one hand petting Amity’s hair gently. The  witchling couldn’t help but melt into Luz’s embrace with a happy little sigh. 

“I’m really sorry I scared you.” Luz whispered back. “I didn’t think you’d wake up. You were so sound asleep and... well, I didn’t want to disturb you. You looked so peaceful.” 

“Hmm...” Amity felt her eyelids growing heavy. “You’re allowed to wake me up, I promise I won’t be mad. I’d rather know that you’re safe.” 

“...Okay.” Luz wriggled a little so that she could see Amity’s face. “Next time I’ll let you know... okay?” 

_ Next time. _ Amity felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. “Y-Y eah. Yeah.”

A gentle, comfortable silence passed between them for a moment or two, giving Amity’s brain breathing space to calm and collect her thoughts, the adrenaline easing away. Luz picked up the mug again, taking small, quiet sips, clearly contemplative herself. 

“So why are you out here all alone anyway?” Amity finally asked, tilting her head to try and catch Luz’s expression. 

“Oh... well...” Luz blushed under Amity’s gaze, rubbing the back of her neck. “I just really like the stars.” 

It was a particularly clear night, Amity supposed. It was perfect weather for stargazing. She smiled. Amity had always rather liked the stars too; she had even taken a course in Magical Astrology for extra credit at school. 

“You know, before I came... here,” Luz started softly. “I was kind of scared about leaving home.” Luz’s feet shuffled slightly under their blanket, and her eyes fell to the hot cocoa cupped between her hands. “I’ve never really been away from my mom this long before. I remember, the night before I left, I’d packed my bag and was sitting on my bed, and I was so nervous. And then my mom came and sat next to me. I think she kind of knew, you know...?” Luz smiled fondly, twisting the drawstrings of her hoodie. 

“She told me; ‘Mija, if you ever miss me, you just look up at the moon in the sky. And you just know that we’re both under the same moon, together. So really, when you think about it, we’re not so far apart.’” Luz’s voice wobbled and cracked, and though she tried to smile Amity saw her bottom lip quiver. She blurted out a quick laugh, rubbing at her eyes. 

Amity’s heart sank, and she leaned down to place her mug on the ground. “Luz...”

“But that’s the thing,” Luz’s eyes were wet and glistening with tears now as she smiled weakly back at her. “It’s not the same moon, Amity.” 

Amity’s arms wrapped around Luz instinctively, bringing her into a tight hug. Luz sniffled against her shoulder, her back trembling under Amity’s fingers. 

“Oh Luz... you’re homesick.” Luz nodded solemnly, not lifting her head from Amity’s shoulder, dampening the fabric of her shirt. “I’m so sorry... I wish there was a way I could help...”

“You are helping,” Luz croaked. “You’re here.” 

Amity felt tears prickle at her own eyes now and she squeezed Luz, hoping that somehow, if she held her tight enough, the human would feel every ounce of how much she loved her; how much she cared and wanted to take away every ache in Luz’s heart. 

“I  _ am _ here,” She reassured, her breath shaky. “I’ve got you.” 

_ ‘And I won’t let you go until you’re ready.’  _ She thought. _ ‘I promise.’  _

“’M sorry...” Luz’s voice was muffled. 

“No, don’t be.” Amity cupped the back of Luz’s head gently, smoothing down the human’s bed hair. “You’re allowed to be sad.” 

Luz only ‘ hmm’ed softly, a little sound of indifference and defeat. Amity’s brow knit together into a small frown, as she let her eyes drift skyward. There had to be some way to cheer Luz up. She mentioned liking the stars...

Perhaps...

“Hey...” Amity pulled back just enough to look at Luz’s face. “Has Eda taught you any constellations yet?” 

Luz rubbed at her eyes. Her voice still wobbled slightly. “No... I only know the one that looks like a light glyph.”

“Would you like me to teach you some?” 

Luz perked slightly. She sniffed again and gave a little wobbly smile. “I’d... I’d like that.” 

“Alright,” Amity reached out and cupped Luz’s cheek briefly, rubbing away a stray tear with her thumb. “Well... you see that really bright one, up there?” Amity pointed at the brightest star in the sky. “That’s Stella Magna. It’s a pole star, so witches have used it for millennia to navigate.” She risked a quick little side-eyed glance at Luz’s face. The human stared up at the sky in fascination and wonder,  abandoning rubbing at her sore eyes. “It also happens to be part of one of the most well-known Boiling Isles constellations, The Demon King:  Daemonium Rex.”

Luz smiled. Her voice still sounded a little hoarse, but far more  light-hearted . “That sounds like a dinosaur.” 

“A what?” 

“They’re like- well  _ were _ \- no, never mind, I’ll tell you later. Carry on.”

Amity smiled, an eyebrow quirked at her before she continued. “Stella Magnus is the ‘jewel’ in his crown. Do you see the three stars in a line above it? Those are the points of the crown, and then if you follow Stella Magnus down, those three are his body, and there’s his feet...”

Luz squinted, tilting her head. “I can  kinda see it, I think? I don’t know. Constellations never really look like what they’re supposed to look like.” 

Amity chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” 

Luz’s smile brightened, and for a moment, Amity could have sworn she saw a million stars reflected in her eyes. “What other ones do you know?” 

Amity gasped softly. Considering Luz had been crying mere minutes ago, Luz still managed to look angelic. She almost stammered her thoughts out loud;  _ ‘You’re so beautiful, do you know how pretty you are?’  _

“Amity?” 

“H-Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah!” Amity cleared her throat, trying to gather her thoughts. “Well, there’s  Gelida Anguis, the Frost Snake, that one’s pretty easy because it’s a wiggly line of stars, see? Its head is just above  Daemonium Rex’s crown. And if you trace back to the end of its tail and look up and to the left, that little cluster of stars there is Manticora, the... well. Manticore.” 

“It looks a bit like a rhino.” Amity had no idea what a rhino was. Apparently, Luz could read it on her face. “Oh, it’s like, this big creature with a horn on its face.” 

“Like a unicorn?” 

“No,  no , it’s not a horse.”

“A horse?” 

“It’s like... a unicorn or a pegasus, but without a horn or wings. Or a spider-horse without the... spider.”

Amity stared at her, puzzled. “You’re just making this up now, aren’t you?” 

Luz laughed and gently shoved her gently with the side of her body. “I’m not, I swear!” 

It was nice to see Luz smiling and happy again, Amity thought. “You know... I could sit here like this with you forever.” She muttered under her breath.

“Huh?”

“I-I uh,” Amity blurted out a painfully embarrassed laugh. “I meant because of the view! The view of course! The stars are so... pretty.” She pushed the mug up to her lips and took another long sip of hot cocoa before she could embarrass herself further. 

For Amity the few seconds of silence that passed were agonising. Had she made things too awkward? Her fingers curled against the porcelain anxiously. But as she opened her mouth to make another comment, Luz got there first.

“...Me too Amity.” 

Perhaps, Amity thought, Luz just meant the view of the stars. Or perhaps, like her, she meant the moment they were sharing. The comfort of having each other close, the hot chocolate warming their hands, the feeling of their arms brushing... Of Amity’s head resting against Luz’s shoulder and the way Luz’s head rested against her own, blanket draped cosily around them... 

Amity did not know for certain. All she knew was that everything about this was perfect. 

***

That night Luz dreamt of home. Both her homes. She dreamt of watching movies on the sofa cuddled up to her mother, mixing potions with Eda, Willow, and Gus, and making up constellations with Amity, and when she woke up in their tent, she wasn’t surprised to find the  witchling had crawled over and curled up in her arms, her head nestled under her chin.

She could make out voices, quiet and muffled outside; everyone else must have been awake and milling around the campfire now. Luz rubbed at her eye sleepily, and Amity stirred quietly, stretching her back. 

“Hmm...?” Amity pulled back a little, one eye cracked open and a dazed expression on her face.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” 

“H-Huh?” It seemed only now that Amity had realised how close their faces were and all at once her face was full of alarm. “O-Oh! Luz! Hi! Sorry I-I uh-!”

“It’s okay,” Luz replied, trying to dissipate the tension with a grin. She gave Amity a little squeeze. “Are you cosy?”

“Cosy...” Amity repeated dreamily, her expression faltering into something softer for a moment. “O-Oh, I mean, yes. I am, quite.” Amity’s eyes darted away from Luz’s own bashfully. 

She was really pretty, Luz noted. It was something she’d known for a while, but laying here with her arms around her, Amity’s gold eyes glinting in the dim light, her hair laying haphazardly across the pillows, Luz felt something tug at her heart. Perhaps she just felt sappy this morning, but she was glad she got to share this moment with her. 

“We should probably get up. It sounds like everyone’s waiting around for us.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Luz wasn’t entirely sure why she felt disappointed. “You’re probably right.” 

Sleepily they emerged from their tent, and after a filling, though not particularly appetising breakfast of forest mushroom stew, the group dismantled their camp. The time had flown by so quickly, Luz mused. It almost seemed a shame to leave; perhaps one day they could go camping again for longer. 

As they trudged back up the hill to the bus stop, Luz watched Amity and Willow engage in light-hearted conversation, bonding over previous Lake Lacuna excursions. 

“You know, it’s kind of weird having Amity hanging out with us now.” Gus noted quietly to Luz. Upon her expression he hastily added, “A good weird though! I just never really realised how nice she can be.” He smiled as he turned his own attention back to the pair walking ahead of them. “It’s nice seeing Willow happy too.” 

“It is...” Luz agreed, watching as Willow giggled at something Amity said. “Hey, think we can join you guys next time you go frog catching?” She grinned. 

“Oh absolutely! It’ll be fascinating, documenting the reflexes of humans for the Human Appreciation Society! That’ll show  Mattholomule ...” 

Their arrival at the bus stop couldn’t have been more perfect timing; as Luz came to a halt, she could just make out the giant grub-bus waddling down the road towards them. 

“Please don’t be the same bus driver.” Eda groaned with a  sneer; her nose wrinkled. “Please, oh Titan, don’t let it be the same driver.” 

To the witch’s relief, when the bus door opened a chirpy young demon greeted them onto the  vehicle instead, and once again, Eda slunk as sneakily as possible to the back of the bus with a sleepy King bundled up in her arms. 

The bus wasn’t quite as full as it had been yesterday. Luz, Willow, Gus and Amity were able to get seats closer to their watchful caretaker and still sit adjacent to each other, and this time Luz found herself sitting on the window seat, Amity seemingly quite happy on the aisle seat chatting away to Gus. She was so much more engaged within the group now. It was funny what a day together could do to change a person.

She couldn’t help but wonder if Amity had even noticed. She couldn’t help but wonder how she  _ hadn’t _ noticed when Amity’s hand had slipped into her own, their fingers intertwined. 

With a hiss and a rumble, the bus took off, and Luz snuck one last peek out of the window at the glistening waters of the lake and the tall pines of the forest surrounding it. 

And then, she saw something.

Something tall and pale and gangly amidst the trees, bright amber eyes glinting in the morning light, staring right back at Luz. It rose slowly onto its hind legs, and for whatever strange reason, Luz watched as it appeared to wave slowly at her. And then the bus rolled around the corner, and the creature was gone from sight. Perhaps it had been her imagination. Or perhaps...

Luz shook her head. There were certainly many mysteries yet to solve on these isles, and this would remain one of them for now. 

“Is everything okay Luz?” Willow asked. 

“Yeah...” Luz smiled back, taking in and savouring the sight of Amity and Gus laughing between them, and the warmth it brought to her heart. “Everything is perfect.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thank you all so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this, I went a little overboard and poured a lot of love and effort into this fic! I really enjoyed getting to write the Hexkids friend dynamics, I really hope we get to see more of that and how it evolves with Amity now in the mix in Season 2!   
> I really hope you are all well, and have a lovely and safe holiday season. If you enjoyed this, perhaps check out my other Lumity fics, As the Jademoon Glows and Distance! I'm currently working on a sequel to Jademoon, so I'll be back at it working on that after Christmas!   
> With that said, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all! <3  
> \- Dee


End file.
